"Fae are environmentally friendly." I released his hand and started picking berries. One fit in my hand and smelled divine.
I took a tiny bite and chewed. When my mouth didn't burn, I took a bigger bite. Juice trickled down my chin.
"Let me get that for you," Fletcher offered.
I thought he was going to wipe my face with his sleeve, but he leaned his face closer to me and licked my chin.
"There, that's got it." He grinned.
I waited.
He frowned for a moment, then smiled. "This is where I say I liked the taste of your juice, isn't it?"
I shrugged and gave him a coy smile. "It could have been, but I think the moment passed."
"No score for Fletcher then." He pouted playfully.
"Not this time." I patted his arm. "I'm sure another opportunity will arise."
"Seven," he said.
I blinked. "Did you just rate my innuendo?"
"It seems fair, if you're rating mine." He bit into his own berry.
"That was so much better than a seven." I planted a hand on my hip.
He eyed me. "Fine. Seven point two?"
I cocked my head. "Point two?"
"You don't have decimals here?"
I looked at him in confusion and shook my head slowly. I wasn't sure if he was serious or not. Humans were odd at times. This was one of them.
"Um. They're parts of whole numbers," he explained. "Like if this berry was a number and then it got cut up into ten pieces. Two of those pieces would be point two. At least, that's how I understand it. I'm no mathematician."
I thought about it for a few moments. "So you're saying it was only slightly better than a seven?"
"Exactly." He toasted me with his half-eaten berry.
"Maybe that's what happened to lesser magic," I mused. "It closed the veil to save us from ridiculous ideas like numbers having points."
He burst out laughing. "In that case, I'm on the right side. I should have come here in high school. Being in the dark might have been better than learning calculus or algebra."
"I don't know what those are, but they can't be worse than being stuck down there," I said.
He sighed. "I guess not. There are certainly better places to be stuck. Like here with you, eating giant berries." He leaned in to kiss my cheek.
"I've never met anyone like you," he said softly.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked, only half teasing.
"It's a fantastic thing." He cupped my cheek and gently ran a thumb up and down my skin. "Smart, beautiful and kickass. What a combination. And you're not repulsed by me. At least, I don't think you are."
I smiled and leaned into his hand. "I think you're sweet."
His face fell slightly.
"And sexy."
He brightened.
I stood on my toes and lightly kissed his mouth.
He ran a hand up my arm. When he touched my graze, I hissed in pain and drew back.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean—" His eyes widened. He grabbed my hand and pulled it toward him.
The graze was now inflamed, red skin surrounded it for several centimetres. The whole area felt hot and stung badly.
"This doesn't look good," he said. "Why didn't you say something?"
I didn't appreciate his accusing tone. "Are you a healer?" I replied defensively.
"No, but… We should have found you help before we found food. Or wasted time talking about pointless things like decimals."
"I thought that was the one with points," I joked weakly.
He frowned. "What can do for you? If you need to leave me here and fly off—"
I interrupted. "I'm not leaving you here alone."
"Well, what then? How do we find a healer?" he asked.
"I'm not sure where we are still," I admitted. "If we could find the others…"
"Then that's what we'll do." He nodded. "Do you have the energy to make me a bit bigger?"
"What for?" I asked.
"So I can carry you." He held up a finger. "You've saved my ass twice. It's time to return the favour. Besides, the less you do, the less that will spread."
I wanted to argue, but he was right. About that last bit at least.
"Fine. But only little bit bigger. It will use up energy to do too much." Frankly I was tired already. Whatever was in that arrow had slowly entered my system and started to travel around my body. I needed to rest and get help. There was no way I would let myself die until we restored lesser magic.
I put a hand on his arm and enlarged him by half again.
"There's something I need to do first." He slipped off his hoodie and then the shirt he worse underneath.
My eyes widened. He must have been working out down there in the dark. Every centimetre of him was toned and firm. His left shoulder and down his arm was covered in scars like his face, but his other arm was covered in tattoos. For some reason, that surprised me.
"Is that a fairy?" I pointed to one.
He looked down at the picture of a winged woman hovering on his bicep. "What can I say, I always have a thing for Tinker Bell."
"Who?" And why did I feel a stab of jealousy? That wasn't like me at all.
"She was a character from Peter Pan," he replied. "It's a book," he added when I gave him a blank look.
"Oh. I love books." Maybe I should have stayed in the capital instead of coming on this crazy adventure which might just kill me.
"Me too, that's why I work in a library." He put his hoodie back on and started picking blackberries. He bundled them up in his shirt and handed it to me. "That's for later."
"Good thinking." I nodded. I might not keep down the ones I'd eaten, much less eat more, but he had to have some nourishment.
"It happens from time to time." He gave me a smile, then crouched. "Can you climb onto my back."
I gave him a funny look.
He blushed and rose. "Sorry, I forgot you have wings."
I probably should have taken him up on his offer, but with some effort I fluttered up high enough to wind my legs around his waist and wrap my hands around his neck. I leaned my chest against his back and placed my head on his shoulder.
He put his hands under my rear to help support me.
"Comfortable?" he asked.
"I'd prefer a sedan chair, but it'll do," I said, careful not to speak too loudly in his ear.
He chuckled. "I didn't know you had those in the fae realm."
I wanted to point out that if we didn't get lesser magic back, he would have to start thinking of the realm as his home too, but I held my peace. He might despair at the thought and that wouldn't help either of us.
"We have books from the human realm," I replied. "I've read about them."
"Oh. What else have you read about?" He started to walk in a roughly easterly direction.
"Dragons," I replied. "Women with hair so long a prince can climb up it. Women with fish tails instead of legs."
"Mermaids," he said. "So, fairytales?"
"I guess so," I agreed. "I once read a book about people who flew amongst the stars and met creatures from other worlds."
"Ah, science fiction. I don't mind a bit of that. And fantasy. I didn't expect to be living it some day though."
He stepped around some rocks and down a slope.
I began to shiver. I gritted my teeth and tried to contain it. I didn't want him to worry about me. Well, no more than he already was.
"Are you all right?" He must have felt me tremble.
"As well as I could be under the circumstances. Maybe we should keep talking." In spite of that, I closed my eyes and nestled in closer.
"I think this is where I say you need to stay with me." He stopped walking. "Summer?"
I murmured. "I'm still here. I don't die that easily. Just keep talking."
"All right." He quickened the pace and chatted about everything from the weather to the books he preferred.
I only half listened, but mostly focused on his voice and how
pleasant it was. His accent was different to any humans I had met before, but it was sexy as hells. Or would be if I didn't feel like shit.
"Crap," he swore suddenly.
"What?" My eyes popped open.
"Trolls."
"I can try to shrink us down…"
"It's too late, they've seen us."
Six trolls stepped out of the trees and surrounded us, knives and knocked arrows all pointed at us.
"Well fuck, this sucks."
14
Fletcher lowered me to the ground and shielded me with his body. My knees almost buckled underneath me, but I caught myself at the last moment.
"We don't want any trouble." He raised his hands to either side. "We're just passing through on the way to—"
"You're not fae."
I looked around him.
A troll woman had stepped forward and now eyed him warily. Her eyes snapped toward me and she pointed a thick, stubby finger at me.
"Why did you do this?" she demanded.
"You're going to have to elaborate." I moved out from behind Fletcher and crossed my arms. I winced and lowered them again. My graze felt worse and a sheen of sweat covered me from head to toe. In spite of that, I was freezing cold. Feverish, no doubt.
"I'm not at my best today." I wobbled slightly.
Fletcher put out a hand to steady me.
"The fae took away lesser magic," the troll declared. "The plants are dying. Because of you."
I blinked. "No we didn't." I hadn't expected her to say anything like this, but now I thought about it, it made sense. We had suspected them after all. Maybe we should have sent someone to speak to them. Although, they did tend to attack first and ask questions later.
"We're out here trying to figure out what happened, so we can fix it," I explained.
She eyed me with no small measure of doubt, then asked, "Why should we believe you?"
"Why else would we be out here?" I countered.
"Can you help her?" Fletcher blurted. "A troll arrow hit her. It seems to have had some kind of poison on it." He gestured for me to show her.
"I think you've read too many books," I muttered from the side of my mouth. Reluctantly, I held up my arm. The inflammation had spread almost to my elbow. Maybe if I just cut that part of my arm off—
"We can fix her," the troll woman said with a curt nod. "But I see no reason to." She lifted her chin.
"How about compassion?" Fletcher asked.
"These are trolls," I reminded him. "They don't care about fae. I'm surprised they even get around together."
"Fae understand nothing," the woman growled. "You think you're better than us. You think of us like we're animals."
I couldn't disagree, so I shrugged.
"Prove her wrong," Fletcher said insistently. "Heal her if you can, then we can all work together to fix lesser magic."
The troll woman and I both shot him a look, then exchanged them with each other.
"You think trolls and fae can work together?" The woman looked incredulous. "Fae are too selfish."
"I can work with anyone, if it means we find the answer to this." I locked gazes with her and stared until she looked away. "We both need lesser magic back before the whole realm dies."
She didn't answer.
I sighed and started to turn away. "I guess trolls can't put their pride aside, even if it means we all die."
"Wait!" she called out after us. "I would rather work with a fae than see our children die out. I will heal you."
I turned back. "Really?"
She scowled, but nodded and gestured toward a troll man who stood behind her.
"I am Korta. This is Lun. He makes the poison. He knows the cure."
Lun didn't look too happy, but he pulled a pouch off his belt, opened it and offered me a small jar with a leather stopper. He held up two fingers and waved at the jar before he handed it to me.
"Two drops?" I asked.
He frowned and shook his head, then looked to Korta as though asking her to preserve him from stupid fae.
She shook her head and nodded at him to keep trying.
He sighed heavily, then mimed drinking.
"Two gulps?" I asked. "Are you sure it's safe?"
Lun growled and made to lunge at me.
Korta snapped something and he held himself back, but gave me a filthy look.
"Lun takes pride in his work and his honour. Poisoning an ally, even a fae, would dishonour him and his family for seven generations."
"That's very specific," Fletcher said.
"It is the way of the troll," Korta declared. "Drink."
What was the worst that could happen? If I didn't take the potion, I might die anyway. I removed the stopper and took a sniff. It smelled tangy, like oranges, with a sweet undertone.
"It smells nice," I said to Fletcher.
"It's medicine, it will probably taste terrible," he replied.
"Thanks for the words of encouragement."
While he looked apologetic, I took a gulp, then another. It actually tasted pleasant, but burned all the way down my throat. It hit my stomach and threatened to come back up.
I coughed and swallowed to keep everything down.
Lun sidled forward and took back the jar, then motioned for me to sit down. He raised a hand and held it sideways across the sky just under the sun.
I frowned for a moment, then said, "Oh, that's how long it'll take to work?"
He nodded vigorously, pale hair falling over his eyes. He pushed it back and again motioned for me to sit.
"I might as well I guess." I lowered myself to the ground. He crouched beside me and tucked the jar away.
"You don't talk?" I asked, for something to say.
He shook his head and mimed something I didn't understand.
"He swore a vow of silence after his wife died," Korta said. She and the rest of the trolls sat down around us.
Lun nodded sadly. His eyes glistened.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," I said, genuinely sad for him. "I'm sure she was… lovely."
Lun nodded. He held out his hands in front of his chest and cupped the air.
"Men never change," Fletcher remarked.
"Human and fae men value large breasts?" Korta asked.
"Many human men do," Fletcher agreed.
"Fae men as well," I said. "I guess we're not as different as we thought."
Korta looked as though the ides left a bad taste in her mouth. "Perhaps."
"Do the others talk?" The other four, two women and two men, sat and watched, but their hands were on their weapons. At a word from Korta, Fletcher and I would be dead. If they wanted kill us, they could have, I reasoned, but it wasn't too late for us to accidentally say something offensive.
"They speak when they're permitted to speak," Korta replied curtly.
"You're their leader?" Fletcher asked.
She drew herself up. "I am. I lead a band of a hundred."
"That's impressive." I wiped my brow with my sleeve, but most of the sweat had dried. My trembling had stopped and I no longer felt quite so cold. Whatever the antidote was, it seemed to be working. "Where are the rest of them?"
Korta smiled savagely. "Hunting another group of fae."
I blanched. "They don't happen to have mimicat with them, did they?"
Her eyes narrowed. "They did. They are allies of yours?"
"Yes," I said quickly. My heart pounded, which left me feeling sick and dizzy. "Which would make them yours as well."
She fixed me with a long and slightly sour look. For a moment I thought she might deny or dismiss me. She exhaled through pursed lips, gave a nod and gestured toward two of her companions. She snapped something at them and they hurried off through the trees.
"Your friends?" Fletcher whispered.
"Unless there's another group of fae traveling with a mimicat," I replied.
He quirked an eyebrow at me. "Is that uncommon?"
"Very," I replied. "Mimicats are strange and not to
be trusted."
"Not unlike fae," Korta said, dryly.
I forced a laugh. "Right, just like us fae."
"My words weren't meant to be humorous." She looked at me through half-lidded eyes, with no hint of amusement.
"Oh, I know," I said sweetly. "But we all need each other, like it or not. We have to work together for the good of the whole realm. That also means being civil to one another. Wouldn't you agree?" The steady look I gave her belied how weak I really felt, although the potion was working bit by bit.
"I have saved your life and may spare your allies," Korta replied, her tone stony to match her expression. "That is civility to trolls. We see nothing rude in speaking the truth."
"What do you consider rude then?" Fletcher asked. He glanced at me and shrugged. "Just curious."
"Those who question our honour," Korta replied. "Honour is everything to us. And honesty. Lies are nothing but illusions, tricks."
"So, you don't care for mimicats either," I said flatly.
"They are vermin," she replied, "but tasty." She grinned savagely.
I grimaced. "I'll have to take your word for it. Khat is obnoxious, but we need his help as well. So if you don't eat him, that would be great."
Fletcher raised a finger.
"That wasn't an innuendo," I told him.
He lowered his hand. "I knew that. I just thought maybe you needed cheering up. How are you feeling?" He rubbed my back lightly.
"A little bit better," I replied. "I'll be much better when I know the others are all right."
Korta had pulled out a knife and was cleaning under her nails. "They will be unharmed. If my scouts reach them in time. If not—" She didn't seem too upset by the alternative.
"This might be the shortest alliance in the history of the realm," I muttered.
"Perhaps so," she agreed, "but we will not be the ones to break it."
"Because of your honour?" Fletcher asked.
"Exactly. Evidently humans are more wise than fae. Are you linked?" Korta looked at him through her eyelashes.
"Linked?" he echoed.
"Yes. Uh—" She seemed to search for the right word.
"Married," I supplied. "I think she's flirting with you." To be honest I wanted the answer to that question too. Although we'd only known each other a matter of hours, I felt attached to him, like the gods had destined us to meet.
"Oh." He blinked rapidly. His eyes must have adjusted to the light, he looked less uncomfortable, but he was clearly rattled by the question. "No, not married. But I…um…" He blushed.
Shimmer (Summer's Harem Book 1) Page 8
